Dodgers 4, Brewers 3
LOS ANGELES - Adrian Gonzalez's two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning sent the Los Angeles Dodgers into the All-Star break with a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Sunday afternoon.
The Dodgers took two of three in the weekend series. In both wins, they had to come from behind late in the game. They are 9-26 this season in games they trailed after six innings. A year ago, they went 2-54 in those situations.
The Brewers forced the Dodgers into come-from-behind mode this weekend with good starting pitching. The Brewers' three starting pitchers in the series -- Jimmy Nelson, Taylor Jungmann and Kyle Lohse -- combined to allow just three earned runs on 12 hits over 21 innings. The Brewers' first loss in the series came on Friday night when the Dodgers scored three unearned runs in the seventh inning.
Lohse went five strong innings Sunday, allowing just two runs on four hits (including a solo home run by A.J. Ellis).
The Brewers did their scoring early against Dodgers starter Brett Anderson.
Added to the National League All-Star roster to replace injured Matt Holliday before the game, Ryan Braun drove a home run into the right-field stands in his first at-bat. Two innings later, Anderson gave up another solo home run, this one to No. 8 hitter Hernan Perez. It was Perez's first major-league home run.
In the fourth, the Brewers strung together three consecutive singles from first baseman Adam Lind, third baseman Aramis Ramirez and shortstop Jean Segura to load the bases with no outs but could scratch out just one run when the next three hitters each hit weak ground balls.
Segura's hit was the Brewers' seventh in the first four innings against Anderson. The Dodgers left-hander allowed just one more in his seven innings and the Brewers went to work, trying to make the one-run lead stand up.
It did until second baseman Howie Kendrick led off the eighth inning with a single and advanced to second when center fielder Carlos Gomez misplayed the ball. Left-hander Will Smith came in to face Gonzalez and got ahead in the lefty-vs-lefty matchup 0-and-2.
After Gonzalez fouled off another pitch, Smith gave up the decisive home run on a slider.
NOTES: Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw was named to the National League All-Star Game as a replacement for Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer, who pitched on Sunday. It is Kershaw's fifth consecutive All-Star selection. ... Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson has been named to the NL's starting lineup for the All-Star Game as a replacement for injured Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday, who will miss the game due to an injury. Pederson is the first Dodgers rookie position player to start an All-Star Game. He will also participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday. ... The Dodgers have five players on the All-Star team (Kershaw, Pederson, Zack Greinke, Yasmani Grandal, and Adrian Gonzalez) for the first time since 1995 (Hideo Nomo, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, Jose Offerman and Todd Worrell). ... Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was added to the NL All-Star team as a reserve, taking the roster spot vacated by Holliday. It is Braun's sixth All-Star selection but first since 2012. He was suspended in 2013 for violating baseball's policy against performance-enhancing substances.